Arthur’s Pass Tunnel.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 March 1923, Page 4

Arthur’s Pass Tunnel.

THE OPENING CEREMONY. The opening of the Otira tunnel was briefly touched upon at the meeting of the executive of the Canterbury it,i----gres-s League cut Wednesday by the pro- , sident, Air AY. K. Ale Alpine, who said that the Emergency Committee, had met that afternoon, and in the absence of any information from tlie Government. it was thought that the Government should lie asked for information as to what it intended to do, in the way of transportation, from Christchurch and from the West Coast anti so Oil. The Government;, said Air Ale Alpine. would more or less take charge of the function, and its actual intentions were not yet known. It had therefore been decided to ask the Government for all possible information, on re;giving which the Emergency Committee of the League could meet again, and make any arrangements that might he necessary. GOOD WORK AT OTIRA. PREPARING FOR THROUGH | TRAFFIC. OTIRA. March 7. From appearances Otira looks just about ready to cope with the extra railway traffic that "ill he entailed by the opening of the tunnel. In addition to tlie erection of tin power-house and nil the electrical plan!-, which has been in the hands of the English Electrical Company, a vast amount of work has had to he undertaken by the Railway and Public Works Department to allow of sufficient siding accoiumodalion. The railway yard has had to lie considerably extended. This portion ol the works is just about completed, and the main line, which is now connected with the tunnel, is laid down in rails ol lOOlh weight per yard. This material is the heaviest used in New Zealand. The work of erecting the new station is nearing completion, and is of the. i--lainl station type. Quito a large undertaking was the erection of the .-uhway. This extends out both sides from l lie pi;,i form. The work was done, under trying conditions owing to the amount of rain oxncricneod. which ■ ad-- tin- c\c:i i a linns like a swamp, and pum,,' had to he continually in use. P.iss"iigcrs who have been ill the custom of having their limrly at Arthur's

trill not he able to suti-ly then hunger until Otira is reached, as tin ."efre-hmeni rooms are being built at Bint -.luliou. and are vrrv nearly ci'w I'lctcd.

I n addi: ion to I lie immense altera; '.on , works. Otira bus been made to look like ■ (own in the way ol dwellings. \ conrad |o build 12 houses for l crioanent workmen was h-'l to Messrs I.ovc Bros. These contractors have done solemlu! work, and deserve great praise lor the manner ill which the,', have carried out their contract, which will In comph-ud before schedule time. They worked under great dilficuliies, as they not only had the wet wind her to contend with, hilt ware unable to obtain the chi-- , limber tlu-y required, and had lo creel iii.it own sawmill at the works. Twelve of the houses are now nectipi d. and ir i anticipated that the hnlniua will !„ completed in ai„an! -d v. ecks nine. 'lhc.o houses are Guilt in two , O'VS. and si reel is Iving oo nc"l l„tweeu them. The tusiial custom when a number of houses an built a- workers’ dwellings in one locality is to have them all the same shape and a- iiim h alil.e as possible. But not so at Otiia. w oe"** each neighbour inis a diller, lit , l.i-s of dwelling. Tiny all contain Ii nimiis. and arc provided "it'n hot ami cold water, lint brooms, electric light, .-cv.er drainage. ;u.d v.ash-h<>u -es. equal 10 the conveniences of city houses. Puh--11 • Works mi lt nro ha-i .'iiiug the work m laying drains and pipeline ir con • iii'xion witli the septic tank, which iAUl't long by lilt (tin wide. lin - uu n arc experiencing difficulty owing to v.utcr, and u pump is in coiistaul i:.sc. hut they expect to complet.e tho workin l 1:1" e weeks' time. El F.( TRIG LOCO.MOTIYES ASSEAIBUvD. The electric locomotives to he usi'J in i oiincction with the Otirft Tunnel |:a,e been a —vinbleil, alal it is hoped to ilispatch thm to Arthurs Pass m about n fortnight's time for trials. Bridges at each end of the tunnel have to he completed before the trials, am! in ihe meantime minor repairs to locomotive equipment, necessitated through damage in 1 a.nsit, arc being ,ffi’cct,'d. The war!; of assembling the locomotives has been done at the railwav workshops, Addington, and the la-! one was erected ill four and a half days-. There are live locomotives euh equipped with four motors of !7<l li.p.. ami designed to haul a load ol I !() uis gross at a spec,! ol La miles an hour, j i is also possible lo couple i wo or nnue engines together ami handle a forcespondinglv bigger load. ’1 he equipment in ooiiiieotion with Ihe Otira line includes a battery locomotive (which has ,1 lender with anothe; set of heHormsL and it is used for carrying out repairs Of brakes there are many, namely, two of the Westinghniise type, one rheostatic ami one hand. The rheostatic brake is used not for bringing H-c (ram to a standstill, hut for holding n at a sci so -cl o ' 2‘> i lip's an I our. The locomotives ’.cm' iaiill in England, at the Dick Kerr Work- ol the English Electric Company at Preston. An engine r ‘ : V b' ' at : '■ ■ run ■ - : m ■ ' •• •> ’■ o: the linn having secured a eiinlra--' f two hundred. The electrified : -m m eiglii miles ol the (burc' -p - Coa-t line, from Arthur’s Pass lo Otira, including five and a quarter miles of the tunnel. b:" ; been ■m- de , .an- in \ Z-.-.laud and foi.serea a! ladwavmen have Inal to lii-am-h into solliewlmi different a\ olines in iic ci ion wit 1 1 !k" ha mil iU v , ~|e ' .-b I equipment. Eight main line 0n..;. • - Ir'. „r .•' aw .am differing 1 • -V .1 * f ibe reucs""- I- father t.|,e ; pvi mi';, -in i- takii :.. charge , - •’ e new cn g■ i: So nr tlmy have put in a goo,l >!,■:>l ! aa- f,; neetioii w"k t*v- as- '- ;, i. work :>:w I! when e ■ . -■ .ra i H"! I ' Orira t i : ' ! "i will ••.•in.J.oe tleir con: ,f i c -1 in:: l ion . Mr ('. i. Hi-own. cdbii; too AYo I:-I • s -W-ted ’ IT*-‘C‘:V!‘ tbv ' s'** 1 ' T\ lM.rh ' • - ,! ' ‘ on ihe line ' "O . ’ : Mdl some Work to be : ' ;•••■!•'.l in connection v.-bb ihe :■ C If" t!v over' cad ! • • r! " ’■ ‘ " :l ’ , is in '.rlv rid ' ■ : estim it '! oilier o lie rati : ' -ah ■ a mont : or six weeks be' rice coni'-' ' ers will he able to tep ; J tend-.- ‘. • >ng nb! : '" jobs, tlietr:' -, 'c riri'.m at \rthm • iu’.s to be ri c a I’-ev - Tlie coutr-ictors. the Eegli-h Electric Company, and the sub-cot'traclor. Messrs F. c '. C’-eens’-teLl end C“ Gv’ been rej 1 ' ,r ' Messrs ' 1 1 , respectively, and under liieir <!': ' ' m the locomotives have been ass • and drivers tutored. Mr H. Goocii. resident engineer in New Zealand for For n fne. dry. lasting nolish. use liquid ••TAN-oL.'' Sldeiidid for removing and preventing finger marks on furniture.

the English Electric Company, is at present on a visit to Otira. CUR YES AT ARTHUR’S PASS. ELECTRIC EOCOAIOTIYE TESTED. Rumours that electric locomotives for the Otira Tunnel are unable to take some of the sharp curves has led ATr P. It. Climie, tho Canterlmiy Progress League’s organiser, lo inquire into the position. In a report lo Hie league’s executive he said that the locomotives had been built according lo specifications siipnlied by the New Zealand Government. They provided that the locomotives must ho able to move freely round a curve of ’ live chains radius. A tori was made in the Addington railway yards on a curve specially altered for the purpose. It was Ijmr and three-quarter chains and over the standard gunge, which made the test more severe. An electric locomotive was run round the curve several times at from sixteen to eighteen miles an hour, three times the speed required , in actual practice. Tlie clearances were i checked by two representatives of the ; Railway Department, who expressed j themselves satisfied with the test, j .Mr vlimie added that the electrical | contractors were waiting lor instructions for the live locomotives and one bntlerv shunting locomotive-to proceed to Otira. A few repairs had to he made, owing to parts ol the equipment being damaged in transit, but the rc- ' pairs would not prevent the ioeonmtives going to the tunnel. ' " -'As far as the elec! lie locomotives I i . ~ •-.]•-! "1 ' "thev will he ;v.id\ to he put in cone ‘ mission as --omi a'x arraiigeme-'.s can ■ !.,(• made f-r then proceed to lh"ir deslinat ini'. ami 1 Imre 'ill he no d"la\ ' m that direction.” The rep,,: i was r/iop'ed I v the exc- . entire.